“Unfathomable”: Barça blast UEFA as LaLiga giants lodge referee complaint

Barcelona have submitted a formal complaint to UEFA over the performance of Romanian referee István Kovács in the Blaugrana’s Champions League defeat to Atlético Madrid.

Barça’s grievance centers on an incident early in the second half of Wednesday’s quarterfinal first leg, which saw Los Rojiblancos win 2-0 at Camp Nou.

Why are Barcelona angry?

In the 54th minute, Atlético goalkeeper Juan Musso played the ball inside his own penalty area to defender Marc Pubill, who handled it. However, both Kovács and the video assistant referee (VAR) ignored Pubill’s apparent infringement, arguing that the ball was not yet in play.

The decision sparked widespread outrage in the Barça locker room, a feeling head coach Hansi Flick confirmed immediately after the match, expressing his complete and utter condemnation of the call. The sense of indignation extended throughout every level of the club, with vice president Rafa Yuste publicly voicing his dismay at Kovács’ performance.

“Unfathomable refereeing decisions”

In its formal submission, the club is calling for a thorough investigation into the events of the 54th minute, as well as access to the VAR audio, an official acknowledgment of the mistake, and the assignment of responsibility should any be found. In plain terms, Barça is effectively asking for Kovács to be sidelined.

The complaint also notes that a nearly identical incident occurred last season in a match between Aston Villa and Club Brugge, where the referee did award a penalty. Given that precedent, the club argues that UEFA cannot credibly claim that this is merely a difference in interpretation or refereeing criteria across competitions.

Barcelona say they are aggrieved not only because of this specific incident, but because the club sees it as part of a broader pattern of “unfathomable refereeing decisions” that have “had a detrimental effect on the team”. In the club’s view, these calls have created a “clear double standard”, preventing Barça from competing “on a level playing field”.

Barcelona’s statement in full:

“FC Barcelona inform that the Club legal services have submitted a complaint to UEFA today regarding the events in the UEFA Champions League quarterfinal first leg against Atlético Madrid. The Club considers that the refereeing did not adhere to the current law, directly influencing how the game progressed and the result.

“The complaint centres around a specific action. In the 54th minute of the match, after play had been restarted correctly, an opponent player picked up the ball in their area without being shown the corresponding penalty. FC Barcelona understands that this decision, along with a grave lack of intervention by VAR, represents a major error. Accordingly, the Club has requested an investigation be opened, access to refereeing communications, and where applicable, official acknowledgment of the errors and the adoption of the relevant measures.

“Along these same lines, FC Barcelona consider that this is not the first time in recent editions of the UEFA Champions League that unfathomable refereeing decisions have had a detrimental effect on the team, creating a clear double standard and preventing competing against other clubs on a level playing field.”

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